Last Pics From DrGoat!

Today I am sharing the last of the wonderful photo scans that DrGoat (aka Peter) has been sharing with us for the past few weeks. But... there may be more, so cross your fingers!

First up is the only Knott's Berry Farm image (circa 1916) that was in the bunch; it shows three cads getting fresh with Marilyn and Cecilia (or is it "Nell" and "Bell"??). Peter's father Aldo is to our left, he likes Marilyn! Young Peter sits on Cecilia's lap, with his Uncle Charles as his wingman. Uncle Charles is the fellow who painted the illustrations in the "Dr. Goat" book.  Peter thinks that his socks might have sported the likeness of Huckleberry Hound, or maybe Quickdraw McGraw, or even Rocky and Bullwinkle. You can't go wrong with any of those choices.

What a great photo!

Peter says: The second pic is 1960. Must be somewhere near the Monsanto House of the Future. I'm sure a few of you know of the exact location of that pic. The girl in purple was Caroline, I believe. One of the neighbor kids my parents would occasionally invite along on the summer trip to Disneyland. I do have memories of some really good times on that trip. We (my sister, myself, and whomever was along) rode in the back of my parents '58 Chevy Nomad station wagon. I always had a pile of comics to read when I got bored staring out of the back, but we usually played games in between naps. (As Peter guessed, this area was behind the Monsanto House of the Future). 

This might be my second favorite photo of the whole bunch, right behind the family aboard the Omnibus.

And finally, here's a nice photo of the Disneyland Band, gathered 'round the flagpole in Town Square. Peter thinks this might be from 1967 - I wasn't sure if bandleader Vesey Walker was still at the park in '67, but I was surprised to learn that he did not retire until 1970.

MANY THANKS to Peter for sharing his personal photos! They are great.

I would like to encourage any GDB readers to consider sharing your own family photos. Don't be shy! I know that some folks don't think that their pictures are "good enough" - but I'll bet they are more than good enough!

Hippos & Smiley

That ol' Jungle Cruise - sure, it changes every now and then, but much of the attraction still feels a lot like it did 60 years ago.

My three mansions already have swimming pools, but if I buy another one, I will be sure to put hippos in that pool. They're so fun and friendly! Why, a hippo would never hurt anyone. All they want is the occasional hug or belly rub, and maybe a pumpkin or two to eat on Halloween. Some would say that they make perfect pets. 

There's "Old Smiley"; he's laughing it up after reading some jokes on some Dixie Riddle Cups. Man, those things were hilarious. "If an athlete gets athlete's foot, what does an astronaut get? Missile toe!". "What's green and sings? Elvis Parsley!". "Which is faster, heat or cold? Heat - you can catch cold!". See? No wonder Smiley is chuckling.

Brussels World's Fair, 1958

Here are four more scans of vintage slides from the 1958 World's Fair in Brussels!

The first image shows an empty Von Roll Sky Ride bucket passing the U.S.A. pavilion to our right, and the massive U.S.S.R. pavilion in the background. This Sky Ride eventually wound up in now-defunct Lakeland amusement park in Tennessee (of all places).

Notice the Canada pavilion in the distance...

Here it is, close up! I like the very modern design of many of the pavilions, as if the architects were making a conscious decision to cast off pre-war aesthetics. Check out the guys way up in the top right! What the heck are they doing up there? I love the motor scooter (or is it an actual motorcycle?) adapted to move visitors around the Expo. Very European!

Here's just a random shot of people at the Expo; the ladies loved their bright colors and patterns! 

And finally, here's a photo of the Thai pavilion, resembling a typical ornate temple. Notice the asymmetrical star logos in the background.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to the 1958 Expo in Brussels!

Autopia & More

Here are two LEFTUGGIES™ featuring images from the land of Tomorrow! 

First up is this great shot of a Mark V Autopia car - you can tell the Mark V's because of their headlights and distinctive "eyebrows". They were introduced in 1959, and while this particular design was problematic due to excessive weight, they have a look that I find very appealing. I wonder if any Mark V bodies have survived?

That kid looks pretty pleased with himself! I like that the word "Disneyland" is on the hood. Notice the manhole cover in the lower right - presumably there were storm drains in case of heavy rains (rare, but they do occasionally happen in SoCal).

And here is the last of my slides from November, 1955; it's a nice pre-Skyway look at the Space Bar. Those colorful shapes on the "scaffolding" obviously spun in the wind - one can't help but be reminded of the much more elaborate whirligigs on the "Tower of the Four Winds" at the 1964 World's Fair (designed by Rolly Crump).

Tomorrowland Construction

Here are two more scans from a series of construction photos taken by my friend "Mr. X" way back in 1966!

Wow, Disneyland really IS magical. Just look at that dirt! Just mix in some random broken pieces of pipe, concrete, and pixie dust, and churn it all up with some Caterpillar treads, and you can practically hear the Disney chorus from the 1950's singing in perfect harmony.

I am assuming that we are looking at the back of the "Circlevision" building (to the left), and that the Matterhorn would be more or less behind us?

This second photo gives more clues as to where Mr. X was in relation to other attractions, such as the Skyway and the Monorail. The "Carousel of Progress" building would be located more toward the Tomorrowland Skyway terminal, hidden in the distance.

I thought I would zoom in a bit so that you could see the work progressing on the Peoplemover track.

We're getting down to the last of this series!

Rescans!

Once again, I have tried my hand at rescanning some slides that have appeared on GDB before. They originally left something to be desired, but I think the new versions are better.

First up is this shot taken from the middle deck (would this be the "Texas deck"? Or maybe the "hurricane deck"?) of the Mark Twain, circa 1956. This appeared on the blog back in 2010, and it is really really dark. 

The rescan lightens things up quite a bit. Now we can see the gingerbread woodwork of the steamboat, as well as fun details like the original location of the Casa de Fritos in the distance. 

Next is this somewhat fuzzy, washed-out image - a scan from a stereo slide dated "November, 1964". I originally posted this back in July, 2006! 

Two scanners later, I am happy to post this new improved scan. I only just noticed that the gentleman is wearing one of the early oval brass employee badges. A hand-written note refers to him as "Jungle Jim" - certainly his real name! The adorable tour guide has an entirely different name tag, along with her white gloves and riding crop. Love the "Big Game Shoot" shooting gallery in the background.

Vintage Knott's Berry Farm Stuff

I just scanned a variety of old Knott's Berry Farm ephemera, and thought I'd share some items today. 

Let's start with this nice brochure all about the little red school house that Walter Knott brought to the park in 1952. Originally in Mitchell, Kansas, this one room school house opened in 1879 (Rutherford B. Hayes was the President of the U.S.); it finally closed sometime in the 1940's. It was complete with all of the original desks, books, inkwells, and even the cast iron stove; Walter Knott bought the whole thing and had it shipped to Buena Park. He added the bell tower because he thought it needed it.

I love the interior spread, which is informative, but not dry. The little cartoons resemble the type of drawings that a kid might have drawn in the margins of a textbook. When you consider that we now learn from direct brain implants administered by wisecracking robots, the old schoolhouse seems especially quaint.

And look, you could mail this brochure to your friends and enemies (though I know that no GDB reader has any enemies).

Nina Duden ("Good morning, Miss Duden!") might have been a sweetheart, but hoo-boy, she looks pretty stern in that portrait. No, I didn't bring enough gum for everyone! I'm sorry, Miss Duden (goes to stand in the corner).

I really like this simple giveaway from the Birdcage Theatre - a paper mustache that could be worn by everyone in the audience - man, woman, and child. It must have been a funny sight to see!

And look, it was also a kind of business card! I hope nobody wore this particular example in their nose, if you know what I mean.

I hope you have enjoyed today's vintage Knott's stuff.

Two Beauties From DrGoat

Here are two more scans, graciously shared with GDB by Peter, also known as "DrGoat"!

This first one might be my favorite of all of them. It's such a wonderful shot of a happy family on the top level of the Omnibus, waving and smiling. So great. I love the banner, as well as the announcement of the extension of the Monorail to the Disneyland Hotel. Peter Says: The... image is obviously '61. From the right, me, Chris, Mom and Dad and my aunt Louise. My uncle Charles took this shot. He was the artist that did the kid's books including Dr. Goat. (See Peter's first post in case you don't know the origins of "DrGoat").

And next is this very pretty shot of the Upjohn Pharmacy and West Center Street, including the Flower Market and the Carnation truck. 

There's the ubiquitous shot of the pharmacy. I'm seen dozens of pics from that same angle, taken in many different years. That's Mom standing closest to the fellow in the uniform. Then Chris, the back of my Dad, Louise and me in the background. I think that any earlier year like 60 or 61.

I think we're down to the last few photos from the good Doctor. Stay tuned!

Snapshots, 1967

Here are a few "meh" scans of vintage photo prints, circa 1967.

OK, admittedly the photo isn't great, but it's hard to feel "meh" about Cascade Peak! The angle of the late afternoon sun is very pretty. You can see the tracks at the bottom of the photo, as they passed beneath the waterfall. Once again, Walt and his Imagineers went the extra mile to provide a unique experience. It would have been easier and cheaper to just have the waterfall run on the other side of the tracks. 

The next two photos show the Mark Twain approaching the landing while some kids try to take it all in. They can hardly wait! While rock stars had long(ish) hair in 1967, I think the average parent would not have allowed their male child to have a page boy like the one below. So I'm betting all my money on it being a girl!

See those people sitting in chairs on the Mark Twain's bow? They look like they have no plans to vacate their seats! Up on the middle level there was only a mother and her kids (and a balloon); even the top level isn't very crowded.

Grauman's Chinese Theater, Hollywood

If you're going to visit Hollywood Boulevard, you're almost certainly going to be walking past Grauman's Chinese Theater. It's world famous! Today you will be besieged by people wearing costumes (Darth Vader, Superman, Master Chief, Elmo, Batman, etc), hoping to get a few bucks if you want to have your photo taken with them. How did that start? Why doesn't the theater send them packing? They make the place a seedy eyesore, in my opinion.

Anyway, I have a dozen or so old photos of the Chinese Theater from better days. I decided to scan this first one, circa 1958, even though another from the same day was posted in an earlier post. It's strange to see open space to the west of the theater - that part of the boulevard is completely built-up these days. I love the old cars and the sign for "Windjammer" in "Cinemiracle". 

This next photo is from 1958. Again, it's weird to see that open space, this time to the east. There's Toff's, a long-gone eatery. That street running perpendicular to Hollywood Blvd. is no longer there; from the theater to Highland Avenue is the gigantic "Hollywood and Highland" shopping complex. 

The movie playing was "The Blue Angel".  A synopsis goes as follows: "Professor Immanuel Rath is shocked to discover a number of his students have been frequenting a nightspot called the Blue Angel, where a scandalous entertainer named Lola performs. Rath attends the show one night in order to catch some of his boys in this den of wickedness, but he is soon drawn into Lola's sensual spell, and in time becomes involved in an obsessive romance with her that costs him his job, his savings and his dignity".

It starred May Britt... according to Wikipedia, she was married to Sammy Davis Jr. for 8 years.

Hey, rent a mink, why don't you? 

Here's a second view; notice the many fans milling around the forecourt, checking out the handprints, footprints, and signatures from many of Hollywood's greatest stars.